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Alternative Tentacles
Headquarters: Emeryville, CA via San Francisco Founded: June of 1979 Founded by: Jello Biafra Link: http://www.alternativetentacles.com/ Genre(s): Punk, Indie-Rock, Hardcore, Spoken Word and a wide variety of other, some much stranger, genres Active Roster *Akimbo *Alice Donut *Ani Kyd *The Bellrays *Jello Biafra & The Melvins *Black Kalima *Brujeria *Burning Image *Buzzkill *Causey Way *Noam Chomsky *Ward Churchill *Comets on Fire *The Crucifucks *Dash Rip Rock *Angela Y. Davis *Dead and Gone *Deadweight *Dog Faced Hermans *The Evaporators *eX-Girl *The Flaming Stars *The Freak Accident *Michael Gira *God Bullies *Half Japanese *Harold Ray Live in Concert *Hellworms *Jim Hightower *Hissanol *Iowaska *Jarboe *Lard *Leftover Crack *Logical Nonsense *Los Infernos *Ludicra *Melvins with Lustmord *Munly *Pachinko *Greg Palast *Pansy Divison *The Phantom Limbs *Pilot Scott Tracy *Pitchshifter *The Sermon *Skarp *Slim Cessna's Auto Club *Winston Smith *SNFU *Strobe Talbot *Thrall *Tribe 8 *Turn Me On Dead Man *Yuppie Pricks *Howard Zinn *Zolar X Inactive Roster *Amebix *Articles of Faith *Judi Bari *BGK *Blowfly *Butthole Surfers *Buzzoven *Creeps on Candy *Dead Kennedys *The Dicks *D.O.A. *Drunk Injuns *Duh *Facepuller *False Prophets *The Fartz *The Fixtures *Fleshies *Free Beer *Grotus *JFA *Les Thugs *Life After Life *Los Olvidados *The Mentally Ill *MIA *Mumia Abu-Jamal *Nausea *The No W.T.O. Combo *Nomeansno *The Pattern *Queen Bee *Ratps de Porao *Saint James Infirmary *Saturn's Flea Collar *Tragic Mulatto *Ultra Bide *Victim's Family *Robert F. William *Wesley Willis *Zen Guerrilla *Zeni Geva Key Releases (3 or 4 albums that put the label on the map/define the sound of the label, should be links) History Alternative Tentacles may be one of the most overlooked and under appreciated independent record labels that exists today for two reasons, originiality and longevity. When asked about long lasting indie labels, most people are going to respond with answers that include the words sub, dischord and pop in one combination or another, but rarely does the average up-and-coming music buff realize the importantce and relevance of AT. Originally started in 1979... (I'm going to pause and let that find its way through your neural network first), yes, they were that far ahead of the curve; by way of small letters on the bottom corner of the Dead Kennedys self-produced debut single. The label did not become an actual label until after a succesful European tour by the Dead Kennedys, an attention-grabbing San Francisco mayoral campaign stint by front man and now label-head, Jello Biafra, and a realized interest by the European youth for the American underground scene. Originally conceived as solely a European outlet for unknown and unappreciated American bands (the American youth were too busy listening to The Village People and watching Three's Company to pay attention), AT put out a successful compilation called, Let Them Eat Jellybeans, before making an alliance with newly-started Mordam Records (where Faith No More got their start) and setting up fort in San Francisco. Over the last 25 years, Alternative Tentacles complete staff of no more than 4 employees at any given time has managed to put out an inconceivable 320 recordings in various formats. But the cogs aren't rusted yet, and the album-pumping machine is still releasing steadily through 2005. Though they were originally slated as a "punk" label, AT has released, along with a good amount of punk, everything from hip-hop to the twisted keyboard pop of the late Wesley Willis. I guess the key to longevity is not of-the-moment bands, but diversity and of course, the gnads to put out records that may not produce the most recognizable sounds. Category: Label